Sorghum crops topping tool



June 16,1931. FRAIZER 9,

SORGHUM CROPS- TOPPING TOOL Filed Feb; '15. 1950 Patented June 16, 1931 PATENT orFlcr.

MARK FRAIZER, OF CHESTER, OKLAHOMA SORGHUM CROPS 'IOPPIZN'G TOOL Application filed February 15, 1930. Serial No. 428,779.

The invention relates to a tool which is to be used for the purpose ofcutting the heads off of such field-crops as kaffir corn, maize, cane, and other similar field crops; the object being, not only to expedite the work, making it possible to top far more kaffir corn, or other similar crops, in a given length of time, but also to do the same work much more easily.

This is accomplished by the use of a very simple contrivance, consisting of an ordinary knife, similar to an ordinary butchers knife, the blade of which may range from ten to eighteen inches in length, and of from one to one and one-half inches in width, to which is attached two gathering fingers; one

' at the point of the knife blade, and the other at the rear of the knife blade next to the handle.

The tool is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows how the gathering fingers are arranged with respect to the blade of the tool, and is a side view of the entire tool. The entire tool is fashioned out of one piece of thin steel, the top of the drawing representing the back of the tool, and the bottom of the drawing representing the edge of the tool. The finger at the point of the blade, it will be noticed extends about three-quarters of an inch forward, then is bent upward about three-quarters of an inch, and then with a rather sharp curve is bent over to the leftand extends about one and one-half inches at right angles with the side of the knife blade, the end of the finger terminating in a small curve making a kind of hook, the point of which extends a little towards the handle of the tool.

The finger next to the handle of thetool is attached in a manner similar to the forefinger, except that it extends straight up from the back of the blade about one inch and is then bent over with a rather sharp curve to the left and extends outwardly for about three inches, the point of which terminates in a small curve making a kind of hook, the point of which is curved a little toward the point of the blade.

In Fig. 1 A represents somewhat the manner in which the forefinger is attached to the 5t blade, as well as the shape of the finished,

finger, and 13 represents the manner in whichthe rear finger is attached as well as the shape of the finished finger. C is the handle of the tool, andis made of two pieces of wood or other material riveted to the steel of which the blade is made and is of such a size and shape as will fit the hand, and need not be of any particular size or design.

Fig. 2 represents a view of the tool when looking at the contrivance from the back of the tool blade, both drawings being approximately one-half the size of the finished tool. It will be noticed that both fingers are about th inch wide at their base and taper to a point. The entire tool should be made of not less than 14 gauge tool steel. The object in having the gathering fingers bent to the side and at right angles to the side of the tool blade is that by so doing, the knife may always be held in a natural position thus eliminating the necessity of turning the hand over one way or the other in order to derive any benefit of the gathering fingers, so that all the user has to do to use the tool is to press the side of the knife blade against two or more stalks, press forward, catch the heads with the left hand, said stalks being gathered by the finger next to the handle; draw the tool towards the user, drawing any stalks the forefinger may have gathered, which may be grasped with the left hand, when one light stroke of the tool is all that is needed to cut all the heads off at the same time. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. A new article of manufacture, a knife comprising a blade, both ends of which are provided with a curved, tapered prong extending at right angles therefrom and perpendicular to the plane therewith.

2. A new article of manufacture, a knife comprising a blade, both ends of which are provided with a curved, tapered prong extending at right angles to the blade, on the back of the blade and perpendicular to the plane therewith.

' MARK FRAIZER. 

